Isshu no Aoi Kaze: Advent
by Ikitsumi
Summary: Kimiyo Mizushima trained alongside her Gym Leader niece's Pokéathlete Pokémon and made it into the Room of Friendship. Now, she's starting the life of a Trainer at 15 in her faraway home region: Unova. Joined by several people-including a man who shares as many secrets as she does-the former Pokéathlete takes on a new name and role to find out the truth of her past.
1. Advent! Plans Unveiled!

It was about that time of year that tourists were returning to their homes. There were no umbrellas seen from the shores of the bay area. The slushie stands had been closed up until next summer when business would be thriving. The famed Sinnoh Champion had also returned to her home region, a certain Elite Four member's family villa also having been locked up for the year. After all, it was at that point where most Pokémon Trainers were on their third or fourth Gym Badge.

The three men gathered at a certain resort town in northern Unova were the least likely group one would expect to see with their appearances and the early August weather being as hot and humid as it was. One of these men wore a business suit, one wore a tight-fitting shirt and two belts crossed over his pants, and the last at least had a normal appearance with a t-shirt and jeans. No one bothered them, however, because of that strange intimidation that radiated from them, and everyone opted to go do their own thing.

The man in the suit who looked rather average save for his tall height, with cropped short black hair and gray eyes, removed his cigarette from between his lips to exhale a long narrow stream of smoke. He glanced down at the other two that were obviously younger than he was. "I had you two come here because it was more convenient."

The one who had a relatively casual appearance simply nodded, while the other who was wearing more restricting clothes continued to grin.

The oldest of the trio took another long drag from his cigarette and exhaled before continuing. "We seem to have two contenders for a certain replacement. I wanted you two to be the witnesses for a match I was planning on letting them have."

"For..._that_ position? How ironic that this town is the very location that always reminds me of those three people in particular," said the grinning man, his narrow black eyes almost gleaming in amusement. "Does that mean I get to take a bit of control here?" he asked, his fingers twitching at his side.

The first looked at him with a slightly disillusioned expression. "You already know what happened to the last person you took under your wing, Eirwyn. How about 'no'," he answered before looking at the last man, who remained silent. "What's your input on this?"

There was a shrug from the last man, casually thrown out as if he didn't seem to care until he lightly brushed a few locks of shadowy brown hair from his face, revealing his heterochromia through one blue and one gray eye. Remaining silent, he undid the red bandanna that held his hair back, wiping some sweat from his forehead. He ran his fingers through his hair before tying it all back in place. "Why battle?" the man finally responded once done. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, looking down at the ground as the sand crunched under his shoes.

"Ehh, he actually talks today. Are you trying to blend in with normal civilians?" the second man responded with a cackle at the end. "Come on, I still want to see an exhibition match of some sort. Whoever loses the battle becomes my apprentice-how about that?" He studied the other's expression. "You called us out here because today is one of your 'candidate's' birthdays, right? It's not hard going through records. It means you finally want to entrust a huge responsibility, hm?"

"How about they just have a match of power for now and then roam around to gather information, rather than being trapped in one location?" the first suggested, ignoring the second observation. The corners of his lips were drawn downward in contrast to the frighteningly static grins that the second of the group always wore. "Asita, what do you think?"

Another shrug from the silent man, followed by a short nod. He looked up from the ground to see a flock of Wingull land not far from them, watching them as if not willing to pay attention to the other conversation.

"Shouten seems to know what's best, huh?" Eirwyn replied, running a hand through his slick, dark blue hair. "You know...aren't we missing more of our "Elements"? How about you have the two figure out what they're best suited for if not for the original position you're looking for?"

"We'll have another one soon. A replacement," Shouten responded, looking at the sky and letting loose a billow of smoke from his mouth again, the sea breeze directing the white plume towards Asita's face.

"That's bad for you," Asita answered after he coughed and turned his head away, causing Eirwyn to suddenly let out a snort.

"I'm surprised he's said over five words today. Is this a record?" the blue-haired man answered, glancing to Shouten with an extremely amused expression.

The taller man let out a somewhat short sigh, putting the cigarette to his lips again. "Eirwyn, you're always worried about such trivial things. Why do you stay in this area?" he questioned. "You're always in Lacunosa and Undella."

Eirwyn let out another cackle. "Why not? It's more exciting than the southern bit of Unova—it's too busy down there. That's not my style, you know."

The older man shrugged, dropping his cigarette to the ground and burying it in the sand with the heel of his boots. "How about I just send you down there myself?"

"Agh, can't ignore that," Eirwyn grumbled as Shouten stood up straight. "How about you? Headed back to Kanto?" His statement was ignored.

"While I don't care much for it, I'll admit that your suggestion isn't terrible. However," the tallest man continued as he let out the last of the smoke from his mouth, "our power isn't strong with missing members. I...can have that other person watching over the both of them to see who's a better candidate. All of them have great abilities...that's why we're having these two in particular going for that more important position. Of-"

"_Inferno._"

::イッシュの青い風: アドベント::

All the way out in Anville Town, a man jolted awake from his nap. He looked around before letting out a long sigh from his nose. He turned his head slightly to see the quaint scenery outside the of train windows, instantly calming him.

It was strange—usually he wasn't bothered by his old scars. This time, however, one in particular had burned so intently that he had no choice but to wake up, lest he start screaming in his sleep. "_What a shame_," he thought as he glanced outside. It was a gorgeous day outside (to him, at least) and he had been napping peacefully. There was a certain situation that had suddenly been pressed on him, causing him some stress, and the nap had cleared his head for awhile.

Of course his niece all the way out in Blackthorn City would be up to her secretive shenanigans, having him leave the comfort of his home for a while. He wasn't even sure what was going on, although he was told by the teenager that it was of the utmost importance. She emphasized that he had to go now lest she make copies of certain photos to use for blackmailing him. Luckily for him, the train had comfortable seats so that the ride to Nimbasa City wouldn't bother him.

He let out a disgruntled sigh when long scarlet hair swirled in front of him as someone sat next to him.

"_That's right, the train still hasn't left..._" he thought. Somehow, he felt that he had also woken up in response to the surprise visit. "Michael, stop doing that. When...did you even get out here? I thought you had Champion business to attend to."

"Had to escape for a while. It was getting messy and I think Chibi was working on handling it," came the somewhat casual response as the renowned worldwide Champion took a seat next to the man. "She's pretty close to the Indigo Elites and Cynthia as well, so she was best to handle all of it, hm?"

"You always talk about her like that, never using her proper name. I thought you mentioned that your pet name for her riled her up. ...Well, I suppose you get a kick out of it," the first person responded, stifling a yawn after his pause. "Leaving a Gym Leader to deal with a bunch of Champions and Elites. Shame on you."

"Just like how I call you Seto? Come on, it fits you. Uncle 'Seto'," the man called Michael replied with a knowing grin as the other shot a glare in his direction, the Champion adding a chuckle at the response.

"Your sister called me out to head towards Nuvema Town," the first said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm not even sure why. She can be an enigma."

"Oh, believe me, she has her reasons," the red-haired Champion replied as he glanced to his uncle. "Ah, yes, Derek finally met the third girl on our list."

The first raised an eyebrow and looked to his nephew with mild interest. "The youngest Rose?"

"Mhm. Though..." Michael said with a pause, "her eldest sister is still hitting on me."

Just the absurdity of the sentence made the Champion's uncle smack his forehead with his palm.

"It's rather disturbing. She...might be following this train as we speak," Michael finished said in a mock frightened tone, actually looking out the window and ignoring the flat stare his uncle gave him. "Well, yeah, I mean, you wouldn't know anything about flirting and romance, Mr. Twenty-and-still-a-virgin," he added, grinning as he said it once he sat back down.

"Tch. That just means you're irresponsible," the other man snapped back. "I'm not even twenty yet, either. You're terrible with remembering numbers. Besides, it seems that you're always toying around with girls' hearts. That's...I could use worse terms because your attitude is atrocious, but I'll settle for 'rude'."

"Nah, nah, you're just a prude. Oh, hey, that rhymed," Michael said in a sing-song tone. "You're just a prude that's my younger uncle, heh. You know, over in Kanto, it's Butterfree mating season. Over here, it's Cottonee that go out and mate, right? Though it won't be for a month or two, I dunno. I don't know too much about Unova because it's too far from the other regions."

"Yes, it's Cottonee, and shut up about romantic matters. That makes you sound like you obsess over _shoujo manga_," he said.

"...and just _who_ is the closet _otaku_?" Michael asked in a teasing voice, not noticing that his uncle had kicked his shin. "I need to work on looking for a girlfriend for you before you get too old. How about Chibi? Maybe the eldest Rose so I can get her off my back? Are you even interested in women?"

"You know, you're older than I am by a year. Get yourself a girlfriend before you even worry about me and my 'oh-so-pitiful' single life; things like that don't matter to me. Just cut to the chase; you know what Aliana is planning, don't you?" the man asked as he turned his face away for a few seconds.

Michael managed to catch his uncle's glance with a wry smile. "I'd be thinking about new nicknames. I have a feeling that it won't be safe to use your real name once you're out in Nuvema. I heard rumors that _they_ were running loose again, so if you were to be found, then...I'm sure all hell would break loose. You shouldn't have to worry too much though," Michael continued, garnering the other's full attention. "I heard they were in the Undella area."

"I get it," the other said quickly in response, almost perking up at the sound of Undella. "It's...always tempting to use my old name, but I'll have to choose something else. It's strange...this old name of mine is just—"

"It's basically just you shortening your name, but whatever you want, Uncle," Michael said airily. "You sure you don't want to use Seto?"

"I'm not using Seto as my alias, and my old name is what everyone still knows me as. Still, you confirming that they were around is more reason to start trusting my gut instinct," the other man muttered, flexing his left hand and glancing down to a faded scar—the one that had woken him up.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Was it acting up?" he asked as the train whistles began going off, tossing his long hair behind his shoulder with a flourish and standing up. "Whoops, no more time to chat. I'll be in contact later. Have fun with your task-you'd better be sure to be in Nuvema Town by the time the next plane from Kanto arrives. Chibi will probably have my head if you don't," he said with a short salute, departing the train just as the doors slid shut.

Always coming and going—that seemed to be the Champion's style. The man looked out the window again to see Anville Town's familiar and comfortable scenery falling behind, suddenly catching the reflection of his own chestnut brown hair and unnaturally red eyes in the glass.

"_So...they're still wandering around? Perhaps I should come up with a new appearance as well. I'll probably grab a change of clothes once I get to Nimbasa City. Probably get my hair styled differently since there's a lot one could do with this length of hair._"

He looked to the train map across the front of the door, letting a sigh out of his nose. It would take about two hours to make it to Nimbasa City, and then he'd immediately have to take an even longer ride to Accumula Town and head to Nuvema Town through Route 1's forest.

The older teenager glanced to his watch. "_At this rate, I'll be at Gear Station before noon...and then it'll be another long ride to Accumula Town. _._..__damn it. __I should have grabbed my bicycle before I left,_" he thought with chagrin as he realized how much time he could have saved riding from Accumula Town to Nuvema Town. At this point, it was too late for the train to stop.

"_...Undella Town, huh..._?"

His memories were hazy—he wasn't but a child, almost Trainer age. He could remember pain, burning sensations, an incident of sorts, but he could also vaguely make out something translating to "blue wind."

"_...why did he say the plane from Kanto?_"

::イッシュの青い風: アドベント::

The airplane with Nuvema Town as its destination was starting up at the Indigo Plateau's waterway airport, although it was already dark outside. A teenage girl was almost impatiently bouncing up and down in her seat in the airplane.

She had already removed her black boots with gold laces and set them under the seat, as no one would care since it was a long plane ride. Her midnight blue hair was let down for comfort purposes as to lay back in the chair without having a rubber band pressing into the back of her head. No one else on the plane had their windows open, so she felt okay removing her cropped black vest and leaving it hanging loose from her shoulders. Denim shorts with fake wool trim were comfortable enough on her thighs, so she decided not to do anything about it once she could take her seatbelt off. The girl figured that the plane would be cold, so she opted to leave her knee-high, navy-blue socks on. One object she didn't remove that most would find uncomfortable was a simple beaded bracelet on her left wrist.

The girl looked around before putting on the light switch in front of her. Her glasses were removed and set in a pouch on the seat in front of her. She didn't need them to look a postcard she could bring in front her face. She could easily see the images of three certain Pokémon on it and a map on the other side. All of them seemed absolutely perfect to her.

This was a 15-year old Pokéathlon Champion, who had just said her farewells to some of her friends and family, one of whom had an excuse to not show up because of apparently bickering Elite Four members at some meeting. Kimiyo Mizushima was ready as could be to return to her homeland of Unova after 12 years.

_::イッシュの青い風: アドベント::_

* * *

_Cue...special introduction theme! Isshu no Aoi Kaze: Advent has begun!_

_Hey everyone, Ikitsumi's back! This is the third...well, fourth time I'm writing Isshu no Aoi Kaze over again...! I've got a lot more planned this time! I'm definitely going to involve more overall plot like I had originally intended, but rushed through, before._

_I hope that I'll be able to put forth some more character development as well! And not just the main characters, but also the side characters. A few name changes here and there, and characters that ArchxDeath and I will have take special roles._

_As for thanks, the version of Isshu no Aoi Kaze that I just took down had three reviews (two from one person) I took into consideration when planning out this revamp. So, THANK YOU very much to: antonm1107 and Write In White! Yes, all caps was necessary. I'm grateful!_

_More THANK YOU shoutouts to Kitty-Kat Allie, who's my big sis and who did the grammar-related beta work for me! And guys...she's not even in the Pokémon fandom. I love her so much. XD_

_And as always, THANK YOU to the best co-writer out there: ArchxDeath. (Caps is necessary again, but no legit reason :D... )Let's keep going! ...Cue cheesy yet awesome lyrics? Never mind, I'll end up posting the whole freaking song if I try: It's Amanda Lee's cover of "Crossing Field", lmao! That song inspires me to no end and always reminds me of you, hehe~! *ends sappy rambling and slinks away with a peach_ smoothie*


	2. Guides! It's Time to Set Off!

The blue-haired girl stepped off the seaplane, down the landing strip, onto the dock, and finally looked around. She knew from experience how typical the August weather was from the proximity of the area to the ocean. However, she still let out a whine when she felt the humidity in the air against her skin.

Kimiyo looked towards the water, finding the sea breeze refreshing. She had been around ocean for most of her life. So while it wasn't anything new, she still found it exhilarating to be near water. Her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw a large, pink fish Pokémon leap out of the water, her jaw almost dropping. It was something she hadn't seen in any of the other regions.

"Last call for Nuvema Town, last call for Nuvema Town..."

She jolted out of her trance, turning on her heel and running towards a single-deck, open-top bus that would take her quickly to the town she was told she needed to go to. As soon as she swung her backpack off and sat down towards the back, the bus started moving.

Just the feeling of the wind on her face was enough to make her smile widely. It had taken a lot of convincing from her parents and other family members to let her return to Unova alone.

"_You're meetin' up with some relatives of a friend of mine, 'kay? Whenever you get your starter Pokémon, head on out to...Striaton City, I reckon he said it was..._"

She grimaced upon remembering what her older niece told her. While it made sense that she needed a guide around Unova, it seemed to take the fun out of an adventure.

"_Kimiyo. The family name-especially yours-is public information. If you're going to be there on your own, you can't let your name be known to everyone._"

She had conquered the entirety of the Pokéathlon by the time her 15th birthday came around, making her name well-known. She was also a Mizushima—a name that spanned from ancient times—from the People of the Water. The ancient people had very few remaining descendants, but Kimiyo's blue hair and her tan skin were distinguishing features of her ancestry. The girl was even told at a young age that she held the blood of the famed Sir Aaron, the Aura Guardian, but the girl knew little of it and didn't care because she carried nothing of his abilities.

For all of her experience, bloodline, and history, the girl was still very naïve about the world around her.

As the scenery switched from ocean and port to forest terrain, everyone that was on the bus got to see more and more Unova Pokémon. Kimiyo was especially quick to learn that she wasn't the only 'newcomer' to Unova. The first Pokémon she saw in the forest were a mixture of brown and orange-furred deer with yellow flowers on top of their heads. A herd of them looked up in curiosity when they saw the bus, a few of them starting to run alongside the vehicle and gaining everyone's attention.

Above them, a flock of gray pigeon Pokémon flew, paying no attention to anyone underneath of them because of their own agenda.

Amongst the trees, Pokémon that looked like brown chipmunks were scurrying along the ground to better blend in; some of them standing on their hind legs to see everyone better.

It was when the bus came around a lake that everyone was mesmerized. A herd of pristine white swans with blue breast feathers were floating on the surface, some of them glancing up with no qualm. Just as the bus rounded the corner after passing the lake, Kimiyo managed to see some of them take off and fly.

"_I'm...going to be a Trainer. If I can see things like this...then it's worth everything._"

::イッシュの青い風: アドベント::

It was still almost ten in the morning when the bus pulled into town. As soon as she got off the bus, Kimiyo was glad that the brick sidewalk was smooth enough to prevent accidental tripping. She reached into her back pocket and blinked in mild surprise, suddenly feeling as if there was a pit welling in her stomach. The girl bit her lip and, with a sigh, swung her backpack off to check it for what she was looking for.

"_...great..._"

"Excuse me miss, are you lost?" came a voice, making the blue-haired girl stand up and turn around.

Standing behind her was a ten-year old girl with a blonde bob cut and inquisitive green eyes. She had an orange jacket tied around her waist, also wearing a t-shirt and khaki shorts. Beside the girl was an orange and dark brown pig Pokémon that was looking around while carrying a few shopping bags on its back.

Kimiyo smiled a bit. "As much as I don't want to admit it, my map is missing and I am lost," she said, a light blush coming across her face. "I'm new here."

"Oh, you're looking for the lab, right? I can take you there, it's close to my house!" the girl exclaimed.

"Well, if it's no problem to you, thank you very much," Kimiyo said, smiling at how bubbly and sweet the girl sounded. She picked up her backpack again and followed the girl, who almost tripped when she had turned around.

"Are you alright?" Kimiyo asked in surprise, smiling a little bit as the girl stood up with a spin.

"I do this all the time," the younger girl replied, sticking out her tongue playfully. "Where are you from?" the girl inquired as she ran farther ahead of the teenager, turning around and walking backwards so she could see Kimiyo's face.

"Well...I was born here in Unova, but I've moved between Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh," the blue-haired girl replied with some hesitation.

"Those are all so far away..." the girl said in awe, turning back around when her Pokémon nudged her ankle as a warning. "Your English sounds funny," she added, making Kimiyo's shoulders stiffen.

"Oh, that. Well, English is my second language," the girl said, glancing at the sidewalk. "I only became fluent in it after I moved to Johto..."

"Cool!" the blonde replied with a beam. "I only know English, but my mama knew...was it...Italian, I think?"

Kimiyo raised an eyebrow. "Unova has a big mix of people?" she asked, to which she got a nod back as her answer. "Are you a Trainer? Ten-year olds are allowed to become Trainers, right?"

The girl shook her head. "I could be one, but my papa won't let me. He said it's dangerous," she said, and Kimiyo noticed that her Pokémon seemed to deflate a little from the statement. "I feel bad because my friends are waiting until I can be a Trainer, and they want to be Trainers, too!"

The teenager sighed. "My parents said that it was dangerous, too. So did a family member of mine that's been a Trainer for the past...eight years, I think. She said it's very scary at times, but it's also...fun."

"That's what I'm waiting for, I want Papa to realize that it's fun just like you said! He used to be a Trainer, too," the blonde admitted. "But...that's why I take Tepig out when I go play with my friends," she finished with a somewhat gleeful smile. "That's a secret, though! See, Tepig belongs to Professor Juniper. He's not mine because else Papa would throw a fit. I know I want a Tepig when I get older, so...I want to get to know one better!"

Kimiyo chuckled. "I won't tell anyone, don't worry. My parents are...actually almost the same way. It was hard to get them to change their mind. You have to keep trying though!"

The girl nodded happily. "Oh, there it is over there! The lab!" she exclaimed as they turned around the corner. "That big building over there, with the satellite tower!"

"Thank you so much, otherwise I would have been wandering around lost all day," Kimiyo laughed a bit, rubbing the back of her head.

"Alright, I'm going to find my friends for awhile after I drop these off at home," the girl told the teenager, pointing at the grocery bags. "Can you take Tepig back to Professor Juniper for me and tell her I'll be back tomorrow, please?" she asked, reaching down and hugging the pig before returning it to a Poké Ball.

"Of course! Have fun," Kimiyo said with a wave as the girl ran off, tilting her head and chuckling again when the girl almost tripped again. "_Well...it would be nice if she got to be a Trainer soon. I hope she doesn't end up starting her own Trainer journey as late as I am now._" With a sigh, she began the walk to the Araragi Laboratory.

Upon reaching the glass doors, she peered inside and rang a doorbell that was to her right. She held her breath as she saw someone approaching to enter a code and let her in. When the doors opened, she was faced by a woman with brown hair pulled back into a loose bun, wearing a lab coat and rather comfortable walking shoes. The resemblance to Kimiyo's older sister was almost startling.

The woman glanced to Kimiyo's backpack and back to the girl, then looked at a small notebook she was holding. "Kimiyo, right?" she asked.

The blue-haired girl nodded. "I...think I'm a bit earlier than anticipated, right?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head again. "I have a delivery from this little blonde-haired girl—she said it's your Tepig," Kimiyo said, handing the woman the Poké Ball.

"Just a bit early, and thank you very much," came the response as the woman took the capsule. "Actually, there was supposed to be someone else I was meeting with right now, but she hasn't shown up. In that case, I'll take care of you first, hm?" She stood up straighter. "I'm Professor Juniper. Welcome back to Unova, "Blue Wind," the professor said with a small smile, ushering Kimiyo inside when the girl looked around in alarm.

::イッシュの青い風: アドベント::

"I take it that you're looking for a new name, aren't you?" Juniper asked with a wistful smile as she set some tea in front of Kimiyo. However, the girl was a little more distracted with the gray chinchilla curled around Professor Juniper's neck.

The two were now sitting in a room that looked rather luxurious with its tan carpet, red curtains, and two couches. After sitting and lying on the hard airplane and bus seats, the couch cushions felt amazing to Kimiyo's weary body.

"My parents said that it's for safety reasons that I pick a new name...but I'm not sure what they meant by that," the girl admitted, crossing her arms.

"Well, let's use the instance that you just want an absolutely normal Trainer life," Juniper said as she stretched out an arm to let the Pokémon slink off. "If word got out that the famed "Blue Wind" was in Unova, the news would be all over you and there would be no privacy in your life," the professor explained. "I mean, you're the youngest person to hold the record for beating the entirety of the Pokéathlon. Of course your name is publicized."

"I guess I understand..." Kimiyo muttered. "I can't think of a name, though. Maybe I'll figure one out soon."

"In the meantime, how about I explain Unova's layout to you? Your niece mentioned in the letter she sent that you don't know very much about the region even though you were born here," Juniper offered, standing up and pointing at a large map on the wall. Both of them walked over to it.

"This is how the Unova region looks, from a basic viewpoint. Here's where we're at now." Her finger glided towards a dot that marked Nuvema Town's location. "This area around here, this right loop of northern Unova, is known to be blocked to all trainers except those powerful enough to have conquered the Pokémon League. This is because Pokémon with higher levels-and especially because those Pokémon not native to Unova-reside there," she continued, looking at Kimiyo as her finger crossed over the right half of the oval-shaped northern Unova.

The smile that was on Kimiyo's face slid off like water when she heard "blocked."

Juniper noticed the look on the teenager's face. "I take it that you want to take the Pokémon Gym Challenge to go home?"

"Of course," Kimiyo nodded as she continued to stare at the map. "It'll help me become a better Trainer, I'm sure of it!"

She was sure, since a certain family member she mentioned earlier did just that and became a Gym Leader.

"Professor, the Pokémon are ready!" called one of the professor's aides. Both Kimiyo and Professor Juniper looked up as an assistant wheeled out a cart into the room. On the cart was a small tin case with a strange emblem, a handbook-sized, silver device she couldn't identify, another object that looked like a watch, and 11 Poké Balls. Three of them were given more importance because of what they held inside.

"Are you ready, Kimiyo?" the woman asked, taking Kimiyo's smile of anticipation as a yes.

"First, we have the Grass-type starter, Snivy!" the professor called, tossing the first of the three important Poké Balls into the air. The red beam coming from its center formed into the shape of the confident-looking green lizard, who looked at Kimiyo with interest and a small smile.

"Next, the Fire-type starter, Tepig!" The next ball released the black and orange pig, who gave Kimiyo a happy look, jumping up and down.

"Finally, the Water-type starter, Oshawott!" The last ball released the blue and white otter, who immediately greeted Kimiyo enthusiastically with eye contact and a big smile.

"Haha, I'm not sure which one I'd want to pick to travel with!" Kimiyo exclaimed. She already knew how Tepig looked because of the blonde girl who led her here, but it was her first time seeing an Oshawott and Snivy in person.

"Well, how about you study their personalities a little bit? Perhaps that'll help you," the professor suggested with a smile, turning to inspect the rest of the equipment to make sure that everything was functioning properly.

With that being her cue, the teenager turned back to the starters and began to look over each of them.

Snivy's red eyes met hers. The grass snake was definitely cool-looking, but there was a hint of arrogance in its eyes that just didn't click with Kimiyo at the moment. Its appearance and overall smoothness made Kimiyo really like it, despite how roughly she thought their personalities might clash. Had it been a Snivy less arrogant-looking and less haughty, she would have loved to see how its physique would affect its battling and speed techniques.

Tepig was also cute in her eyes, especially after seeing the girl's from earlier, and seemed quite energetic. She watched as it bounced on its heels. Her eyes paused on its physique for a few seconds, scanning over the thigh muscles, forelimb muscles, and the stomach. Just to confirm her decision, the girl wanted to look at Oshawott before making her final decision.

Oshawott was also on her cute list-compared to Snivy on her cool list-and seemed to have an extremely friendly personality. She also looked over the otter's body, confirming what she could see earlier. Oshawott had a fit body, although it seemed to be somewhat of a glutton. Snivy's and Tepig's physiques were lacking in comparison to Oshawott––who Kimiyo could tell due to her years of athletic prowess––which meant that there was already something in common between otter and waterfall-haired girl.

"I've decided, Professor Juniper," Kimiyo announced, and the professor turned around. "I choose Oshawott."

"Very well." Juniper smiled, then led Kimiyo over to the cart. "Here are five Poké Balls in order to catch Pokémon and build your team," the professor said, handing Kimiyo the golf-sized balls, all of which were slid into a black pouch hanging off of Kimiyo's belt.

"This is a PokéDex. I'm sure you've heard of them," the professor said, "if your niece told you correctly. This allows for you to check your Pokémon's moves, collect data on Pokémon you haven't seen, and has various other features as well. I'll leave you to figure those out." Kimiyo was given the silver device with a pink Poké Ball design on it.

"She also said that if there isn't this...'National Dex' mode on it, I can't view information on Pokémon that aren't native to Unova, right?" Kimiyo asked, receiving a nod in response.

"That's true, yes. I'm working on an upgrade that will allow the National Dex mode on your PokéDex because the technology is still all the way out in Kanto, so it won't be too long until I can do an upgrade," Juniper replied. "They're also expensive. These cost a lot to make, but the result is their durability and rather indestructible nature. Your parents paid a lot for this specific model—it's the latest that we own at this point in time until we can work on upgrades for future Trainers," Juniper told Kimiyo, handing Kimiyo the inch-thick device to put in her pocket.

"Alright, here's the next thing," the woman said as she lifted up the watch. "This is a Xtransceiver, and it's the technology of Unova: similar to the Pokégears, PokéNavs, and Pokétches in other regions. Since your parents paid for this one as well, it has a prototype video calling feature within it. This only works in the proximity of other video-capable Xtransceivers—and there aren't many out there, so I highly doubt you'd use it very much," the professor told Kimiyo, handing the girl a watch-like device that was strapped onto the left wrist within a few seconds. "That about sums it up," she smiled, patting the Oshawott's head after it'd climbed onto Kimiyo's shoulder to see everything.

"So according to the map," Kimiyo said with some hesitation as she turned to the large map on the wall, "I should head north until I reach this city here? Where is the first Gym located?"

"The first town right here will be Accumula Town, and the Gym is located in Striaton City, a bit farther north of Accumula Town," the professor replied, then tapped the Xtransceiver. "There's a built-in map here as well, I forgot to mention," she said, and Kimiyo's fingers messed with a few buttons so the screen would move across the map faster.

"Oh, just so I know how to use the PokéDex, can I try it now?" Kimiyo asked, smiling widely when the professor complied. "Alright, so...Mincinno...Snivy...Tepig...and Oshawott," the girl said as she pointed the device at both of the Pokémon in the room. "Thanks!"

"That's why I'm here," Juniper replied, recalling the indifferent Snivy and somewhat disgruntled Tepig to their capsules. She handed Kimiyo the final Poké Ball that belonged to Oshawott. "Now that I think about it...why don't you nickname Oshawott?"

"Nickname?" the blue-haired girl asked, blinking. "Come to think of it, most of my family and friends always use nicknames with her Pokémon..." she said more to herself than out loud, then looked at the Oshawott on her shoulder. "How about Souwa? I know it doesn't really have meaning or anything, but that just means that it's a unique name all in its own without a bad meaning, so...no one can judge it, you know?" Kimiyo suggested to the otter, who nodded with a smile that displayed his fangs.

"And how about you?" Juniper asked, making the teenager turn her attention back to her in confusion. "Have you decided on your own name?" When Kimiyo relayed it to her with a satisfied smile, the woman smiled.

"That sounds like a good name." Juniper nodded slowly. "I think you're all set for your journey," the woman told the girl as they walked back down the hall towards the entrance of the laboratory. "If you need to contact me for anything, I'm registered in the Xtransceiver so you can call me. You can use the map in the Xtransceiver to find your way to Striaton City."

"Thank you, Professor," the blue-haired teenager said, giggling when Souwa also waved. "I'll be in touch soon!"

The moment Kimiyo was exiting the road that led away from the building and back into town, someone else was entering from the other side of the road towards the lab. Almost panting, the newcomer caught their breath as soon as they stopped in front of the lab.

Juniper frowned a bit and looked at her appointment book. "I know you made a special request, but...that was only under the circumstances that you arrive on time." When the other looked up in disbelief, she let out a small sigh and patted the person on the head. "I'm terribly sorry, but you just missed it," the professor said, to which the newcomer looked at the woman in shock, tears spilling from the person's eyes.

::イッシュの青い風: アドベント::

"I wonder...how exactly to exit the town...is there a bicycle shop around? I know there was one in Goldenrod City, but that city's huge..." Kimiyo muttered to herself with a frown as Souwa remained on her shoulder. As the girl passed by a small park, she stopped as she heard someone yelling.

"Eric, how about a Quick Attack?"

The blue-haired girl walked a bit closer to the park to see what was going on. In an open area not far from a swing set and sandbox, Kimiyo watched as a small, zebra-like Pokemon with a lightning-bolt-shaped mane rammed into a large pheasant Pokemon. She kept her gaze on the bird as it regained its composure." A trio of children paused as the Pokémon—theirs, from the looks of it—took a moment to sturdy themselves, one of the kids suddenly jumping up and running happily towards Kimiyo.

"Hi! Did Professor Juniper get Tepig back?" the blonde girl asked, Kimiyo recognizing her as the same one who led her to the laboratory earlier.

The teenager nodded in response. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon," she admitted before looking towards the other two children. "Are these the friends you were talking about earlier?"

"Yeah!" she said, motioning for Kimiyo to follow her. "Here's the girl I showed over to the lab earlier! The one that's from here, but not from here too!"

Kimiyo giggled at the description. "I just arrived from Kanto and Johto's shared territory this morning. I have a few small requests," she interjected before the kids could say anything. "First, could I get PokéDex entries on your Pokémon?"

"You're a Trainer? Go for it," the last girl of the group said, her long, dark brown hair almost bouncing as she allowed Kimiyo to gather information on the girl's Blitzle.

"I have no problem with it," the sole boy of the group responded, also letting Kimiyo scan data on his Unfezant as he pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose.

"You got Tepig earlier, right? And you have an Oshawott, that's cool! Oh, did you see the professor's Mincinno? He's so cute!" the blonde girl squealed.

"He is." Kimiyo smiled. "My other question...Would there happen to be a bicycle shop anywhere nearby?"

The trio looked amongst each other before Bianca looked back to Kimiyo and shook her head. "The closest place would probably be in a bigger city like Castelia or Nimbasa City, but that's a bridge that crosses the ocean! I was born in Castelia, so I know..."

"That's...definitely a long way. I may be able to make it to, um...Accumula Town, I think, if I leave now," Kimiyo said, looking at her Oshawott with a shrug. "This just means longer travel times, Souwa."

"Did you even introduce yourself?" the boy asked with a somewhat flat yet knowing stare at the blonde girl while the brown-haired child grinned a bit.

"Oops!" the younger said, covering her mouth a bit in embarrassment before moving it to show a smile. "I'm Bianca!"

"Cheren," the boy responded after Bianca, Kimiyo noticing that he seemed to be the book-smart type of person.

"Bree," the girl said, her apparent enthusiasm reminding the teenager of her Pokéathlon days. "How about you?" she asked to which Kimiyo tilted her head.

"We'll definitely wait for Bianca's dad to stop being so hardheaded about it, even if we have to be 16 years old! That's what best friends do, right?" Bree asked with a fierce gaze and matching smile.

Both Souwa and Kimiyo smiled at the trio of childhood friends and nodded. The teenage girl's heart sank a little bit as she thought of the words to say when she opened her mouth. As much as she trusted these kids, she had promised her family that she would protect herself the best she could while she was in Unova. So far away from everyone she knew, alone in a new region.

"Aoi Kaze."

_::イッシュの青い風: アドベント::_

* * *

_Sorry this took so long to come out with! I've had it actually written for awhile, but my beta looked through it and found a lot of stuff to fix! On top of that, I put in a character that I don't know if I have permission to use or not (which means I'll edit if need be), but I really wanted to pay some homage to Alphabet Soup by fanfiction author Glory for Sleep. One of the best Gen V-based Pokémon fanfics out there, imo._

_My headcanon about Cheren and Bianca's heritage's are slightly different though, lol. Cheren is Korean-blooded in my mind, and Bianca has an Italian mother._

_As always, thank you to Kitty-Kat Allie for being my beta! Mua, love for you!_

_And for ArchxDeath, who is almost finished with Lost Smiles, Revamped! while I'm still stuck rewriting my entire fanfic! I'm so slow (but I blame college, I HAVE ONE WEEK'S WORTH OF CLASSES LEFT but I only go to school two days a week so mreh). Now to go weep in a corner with...chocolate pudding. Aww yiss._


End file.
